Daily devotion – planning for Christmas
Luke 2: 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!
Planning for Christmas – yes, it’s only 65 days until Christmas 2022. How do you plan for Christmas? When do you start setting things up? Early, or do you cram in the last week or even days before?
So much detail and planning go into most families Christmas preparation. We have firstly to decide at whose place is breakfast, lunch and dinner. The times and all the logistics in food purchasing and the types of foods now to meet everyone’s diets and allergies.
We have not discussed the presents as yet – that’s a whole other deal!
Christmas in this sphere of planning reminds us of the work and business for us to ‘enjoy’ Christmas. We get tired just thinking of the planning.
How we have made things so difficult and lacking in joy in our modern world.
How about planning for a different focus on Christmas this year? Yes all the other things will still happen but let’s drop them down the scale on importance for once.
How about starting your preparations this year this way:
1. Join the mid-week prayer meeting and bring your saved and unsaved loved one’s to the Lord with the hope that each one will sense the very wonderment of Christ’s coming – that it was God the Father’s gift to each of us of giving His Son Jesus to enter our world on a mission. To save us from our sins.
2. Seek God’s wisdom on a gift that will in some way bring the discussion of salvation to the one you are giving a gift to. A bible, a biography of someone that is a believer that would connect with them for example.
3. Plan to invite all your family and friends out for Christmas Eve to Church to join with you in this very special night of worship.
4. Take time to seek the Lord and ask Him to open your eyes to what Christmas means to you – from His heart.
5. Remember those who this Christmas will be minus family, a loved one or who for the first time will be having Christmas alone.
6. Begin early in the lead up to Christmas each time you are at the shops or having a coffee to share the love of Christ and wish those who are serving, a blessed Christmas. Invite them to Church for Christmas.
7. Plan your home Christmas to have the Christmas story read together as a family.
8. Plan for the food to be prayed over before being consumed.
9. Set the music in the background to tunes that celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.
10. Avoid calling it ‘the silly season’, instead share how you are looking forward to this blessed season.
If you would consider some of these things in your planning – your Christmas will be one that Christ is the guest and the love and joy that He brings will be shared through you to others.